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Hungry for Information? i-Gov Suite a Shot in the Arm for Public Sector

The proliferation of the Internet – both on an individual and governmental level – has fueled a new initiative from Information Builders: an i-government Suite of software solutions that streamline Government operations and speed public access to important information.

These prepackaged reporting and transaction-based Web applications were developed specifically for state, regional, and local government agencies. Drawing on Information Builders' 25 years of experience helping scores of agencies at every level of government work smarter, the i-government Suite accelerates the process of bringing Internet productivity to the public sector. Information Builders has already implemented several i-government Suite applications, one of the most popular being its Restaurant Inspection application for the New York Department of Health. This application allows citizens to check the latest health inspector records of their favorite eateries, for data on cleanliness, food preparation, vermin infestations, and health standards. (Check out www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh) Another timely Department of Health application available to the public is an information guide and site locator for city-sponsored influenza vaccinations. Information Builders also has several other i-government Suite applications, which include Childcare and Eldercare Facility Inspection, Ticket Payment, Court Docket, Health Care Enrollment, and Vendor Registration/Bid systems. Coming soon are Building Inspection, Crime Reporting and Sex Offender Information, and Online License Renewal systems. Many of these can run on wireless handheld devices.

The new i-government Suite initiative is being fueled in part by Information Builders' mission to continually provide effective and timely access to data, especially when that data falls within the spectrum of the public's right to know.

"The growing appetite for access to public information and municipalities' needs to streamline internal and interdepartmental operations is driving our application development," said Gerald D. Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "Fortunately, we have the ability to harness the latest technologies and the Internet to increase the efficiency of government and to satisfy the public's need to know."

The i-government Suite is based on Information Builders' WebFOCUS query, reporting, data management, and integration software. The WebFOCUS product is currently in use at more than 2,000 customer sites worldwide and was named this year's fastest-growing software solution in its category by International Data Corporation.

The i-government Suite also has tremendous potential to aid interoffice and interdepartmental communications between various agencies. For instance, with the i-government Suite approach and technology, the tax assessor's office can share and analyze data – in real time – with colleagues in the building, planning and zoning, public works, or county clerk's office. Applications can also be tailored to allow supervisors to better track and analyze public officer conduct and performance records. The i-government Suite applications can be provided at the customer site or as an Information Builders-hosted ASP service on the Web.

"These customizable pre-built applications give us rapid deployment capabilities at governmental sites. We'll also host the application site if needed, so that these organizations can move forward more efficiently and effectively," said Steve Robichaud, government consulting practice manager, Information Builders. "The convergence of the Internet, Information Builders technology, and availability of these applications as an ASP service creates a new class of solutions that are literally 'just in time.' "

Information Builders' i-government Suite is being sold nationwide via the company's direct sales force.

DM Review Names Information Builders in "Top 100" for the Third Consecutive Year

For the third year in a row, Information Builders was named one of the top vendors in DM Review's 2000 Top 100. These vendors are selected by the readers of DM Review, the number-one business intelligence and data warehousing magazine in the United States. The annual ranking is based on a product usage/vendor rating survey in the e-business, customer relationship management, and data warehousing sectors conducted over the Web by Market Perspectives.

"We're extremely pleased to be included in the upper-tier ranking of the Business Intelligence 100 for the third consecutive year," said Gerald D. Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "This award acknowledges our commitment to providing best-of-breed solutions, and the nominations we received from users are the best proof, validating the high level of functionality, service, and support our solutions provide." All vendors in the DM Review 100 are featured in DM Review's December 2000 issue.